North Korea and Japan face off over spy satellites and missile testing

PM Archive - Wednesday, 26 March , 2003 22:25:00

Reporter: Mark Simkin

HAMISH ROBERTSON: Another member of the "axis of evil" is making its presence felt on the international stage. North Korea says Japan will face "self-destruction" if Tokyo proceeds with its plans to launch two spy satellites and it's hinted that it may lift its moratorium on testing ballistic missiles.

It's North Korea's latest contribution to an already very tense stand-off with America and her allies.

Here's our North Asia Correspondent, Mark Simkin.

MARK SIMKIN: The spy satellites or "information gathering satellites," as the Japanese government likes to call them, will be launched on Friday. It's a major step for Japan, the first time the country has used space for a military purpose.

Shuichiro Yamanouchi, President of Japan's National Space Development Agency, says security surrounding the project is extremely tight.

SHUICHIRO YAMANOUCHI: The Government is very sensitive to the launch of this rocket, and this rocket has an essentially peace keeping effect but by some understanding this is still very, a little bit delicate concerning national defence. But I explained already, this rocket has special missions concerning the, for first time for Japan, us observing all over the world.

MARK SIMKIN: While that's true, the satellites will be focussed most carefully on North Korea.

The project began in 1998, when Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile across Japan. The eyes in the sky will give Tokyo the ability to keep watch on North Korean missile sites and nuclear reactors.

Predictably, Pyongyang is furious. In a statement released by the Korean Central News Agency, the regime accused Japan of acting as "a shock brigade" for the launch of a US pre-emptive attack.

KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS: If Japan takes the road of re-invasion, toeing the US policy to stifle North Korea militarily, Japan will not have its security guaranteed but face self-destruction.

MARK SIMKIN: The statement went on to warn that North Korea's moratorium on ballistic missile launches could end if Japan goes ahead with its launch.

KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS: Japan should not run amuck, clearly mindful of such consequences.

MARK SIMKIN: And Pyongyang is backing up its rhetoric with action, albeit of a fairly symbolic kind.

North Korea has pulled out of its regular talks with the US Army at the demilitarised zone.

The Korean Central News Agency declared that America was driving the peninsular towards nuclear war, and warned that the communist country would be forced to take what it called a "new important measure" for its self-defence.